Evans - The Tale of Little Bevan

The Tale of Little Bevan was first performed at Pentabus Theatre, Bromfield, Shropshire, on 16 October 2019, prior to a national tour. The cast, in alphabetical order, was as follows: Owen Aaronovitch Annie Grace Andy Peppiette Director Sophie Motley Designer Alyson Cummins Lighting Designer James Mackenzie Songs by Little John Nee Lyrics by Little John Nee and Robert Alan Evans Composer and Musical Director Little John Nee Movement Director Vicki Igbokwe Voice and Accent Coach Emma Stevens-Johnson

Tony has been staring at a piece of blank paper.He rips it up in frustration and even eats some of the pieces.Which he realises are disgusting, so he tries to drink some water in an old glass.Which he realises is also disgusting and spits out. Tony. Tony Come on! Come on! Trying for the two hundred and sixteenth time to start his book. Tony Come on! Come on! Trying for the two hundred and sixteenth time to start his book.

Tony who only seven years before was so much more. A colossus. A god. A man who was once very close to being made a semi-permanent member of the University of East Anglias History Department. For his work on the origins and myths of ninth-century East Anglia. With specific reference to the cult of St Agathus.

Oooooooh it was good stuff. His last article in which he had come close to proving where Agathus remains might lie had been called Almost too hot to handle and Very well researched and Interesting. A man on the up. Until We hear a phone ring, distantly.The sound of Tonys mum on the other end, in distress. Tony Love. That day. Seven years before.

When Tonys career hit a wall. His mum had had a fall. And so began the next six years of his life. You care, and then you dont. Float further from the world; your colleagues, the teaching. Until eventually you stop going in.

They try to call, but its all The sound of his mother at night watching telly. Him trying to write, still trying to be somebody. Until eventually He gives in. Watches Mel and Sue as they talk about a master bake. Tony Its cake, Mum. On here. Your son. Your son.

Im your son. Just lift this one. This one. No. This one. (Suddenly snapping.) THIS ONE! THIS ONE! THIS ONE! Silence.

Gone Now he could finally get on. Back to his book. Hed done his research. Read almost every book. Though he felt there might be a few notes to make on St Agathus crook. Which some believed might have been a sword. Others a stick.

Tony felt he needed to really understand every angle before he could even dream of putting pen to paper. Then hed spent two months trying to get the title right. Hed toyed with something minimal like just a Celtic symbol. Nah. Too in-the-know, elite. Tony Agathus: Woman or God. Tony Agathus: Woman or God.

Crossed it out in a hurry. Thinking it sounded a bit Jenni Murray. Tony Yes. Yes. Its coming. Its coming.

Its practical, informative, yet has a certain spice. The Historical Origins and Details of the Figure Known as St Agathus: Her Relationship to Pre-Christian Ritual and the Kingdom of the East Angles with Dates, Maps and a Study of the Derivation of Related Norfolkshire Place Names Along with a Comprehensive and Fully Illustrated Guide to the Appearance or Non-appearance of St Agathus in the Stained Glass Art of the Area Tony crumples up the paper in frustration. He lets out a sort of desperate moan, trying to hold everything in. Hes like a wounded animal. How was he meant to write when There That. A gap. On the shelves.

His mums statue. Gone. How? She mustve taken it. That cow! Tonys sister had come a few days before. Are you okay? But really to start a sort of war of attrition. Wanted a few of Mums things.

Something to remember her by. But why? Why should she have a thing? Where was she for the washing, the cleaning, the muck and the mire? Tony had smiled. Given her a box. Tony Here, fill this. Put it in the shed. That way you can come get it if Im out, or in bed.

Ill be changing the locks. Some of the carers that came Very nice, but I dont quite trust them all the same. But youll give me a key. Tony Of course. Hed followed her round. See what she took.

The odd photo. A book of recipes. Fine. But the statue. Tony Thats mine. Tony No. No. No.

Well, well see. She mustve come back and swiped it. A gap on the shelf. Rage. Better than uncertainty. Than staring at a blank page.

Wondering how the hell youll ever get a job at your age. No!

We see Mikey. He is hunched over his phone. Mikey. Mikey (under his breath, staring at the phone) Come on! Come on! If youd been watching, say twenty minutes before. Youd have seen Mikey vault over Tonys wall and enter his shed. A Grindr message sound.Hey! Yes! Hey.

Sorry bout that.Got cut off.Yeah, thought youd left me there, mate.No! I mean (Deleting and retyping.) Yeah, sorry.What you doing? Eh Reading. No one says reading. No ones reading. No one reads. Like an actual book? With sentences?Yeah. Haha. Gone. Lost him. Nice. Nice.

What is it? It was pretty cool. 1984. I love that one. Feels like were living it.Yeah. My mums like the thought police. (Laughing tears emoji.) He gets my jokes. Eighteen.Cool. Eighteen. Cool.

Youre hot btw. Wheres the pic from?Argentina. And hes back. And the chat. Never been like this before. An actual person. Funny and sweet and So, do you wanna meet? Shit.

Tony Something not right. In the sunny September light, Tony can see in the shed. A sort of glow. Then gone. How about next week?Have to be tonight. Okay. You got wheels? Yeah. Two that would do. Town? Theres a nice pub. Town? Theres a nice pub.

Called The Bell. In Wortwell.What time?Nine?See you there.Tony What the hell are you doing? Mikey Shit. Tony. What was he doing, crouched on the floor? Sweaty paw hiding his phone. Alone. Oh Tony Michael.

Were you ? Mikey No. Get up. Just get away. Tony Because I know its hard for young people today with well, with the pressures of the body. Oh God.